Future Electronics – IoT End Node

The basic architecture of an end node connected to the Internet of Things is remarkably similar, no matter which type of environment it operates in.
Every end node will report to a gateway: for a wearable device, this might be a smartphone to which it connects via Bluetooth® Smart; for a residential device, the gateway might be a Wi-Fi® home router. In industrial or commercial systems, the data-collection gateway might connect to the internet via a 2G, 3G or 4G cellular network, or an ISM-band ZigBee®, Sigfox or LoRa™ network.
On the input side, the end node performs local data manipulation using a microcontroller and memory. In addition, the device requires security and authentication devices to handle the encryption keys which ensure that only authorised devices can access the network.

The block diagram below displays these main functional blocks, providing sensing, data-processing, communications and security functions. And in this Circuit Centre section, you can find the latest components implementing these functions, all available from Future Electronics.